Welcome to the House of Vans

Another day, another ‘dronevertisement’. And thanks to the latest from Cup Noodle, hunger may be a thing of the past.

The Cup Noodles team sent out targeted drones disguised as the flavour they’re carrying, handing out noodles to people in the midst of extreme sports. Utilising the latest in technology to fuel people who are quite literally on the go, this stunt helped push the brands message of convenience, whilst staying relevant to their millennial target.

Video of the week

Known as the #IceBucketChallenge, the social media campaign where you either donate money to an ALS charity or dump a bucket of ice over yourself has gone viral. Once you’ve made your decision, one must nominate up to three friends to do the same within a 24-hour period, and so the cycle continues.

Every celebrity and their dog have participated, but Bill Gates’ tech driven #IceBucketChallenge is one of our favourites:

Waterloo Station’s Old Vic Tunnels have been transformed into an immersive branded experience, courtesy of global skate brand, Vans. While train stations are synonymous with bustling commuters and the screeching of brakes, the tunnels are now the ‘House of Vans’, a space for users to champion creativity. The tunnels, spanning a total of 30,000 sq. feet, include an 850-capacity music venue, a skate park, cinema, café, two bars, an artists’ lab and a gallery.

Website of the week

Looking to escape to the cobblestone pavements of Paris’ Place du Palais or stroll along Hawaii’s Hapuna Beach for the day? With Sounds of Streetview you can.

Sounds of Streetview takes the visuals embedded on Google and adds new, selected audio (depending on a user’s location and proximity to the sound), making for the ultimate Google Maps experience. The company behind Sounds of Streetview, Amplifon, hopes to encourage people to create a gallery of sound-infused street views, turning Google Maps into an interactive soundscape.

Ears are individual things. Some are long and pointy, whilst others are petite and spongy. For many people, finding a set of headphones that fit their own unique ears can be an exhausting exercise.

Startup OwnPhones hope to end the search for the perfect headphones with their new wireless, custom-fit, 3D printed earbuds that are uniquely designed for each and every user. As well as being custom made to fit the user’s ears perfectly, OwnPhones earbuds can also be specially customised to match the user’s style and personality.

The company is currently crowdfunding the product on Kickstarter and has already raised more than twice its goal with just under a week to go in the campaign. Check out the video here:

App of the week

Camoji is taking selfies to a whole new level with an ingenious idea that allows iPhone users to send GIFS (animated pics) to their friends via text message. Similar to Snapchat, the app is more user-friendly and utilises a platform that everyone already uses (iMessage), however its minimalistic design and swipe gestures do take a bit of getting used to.

With so many similar apps already on the market, is Camoji just another photo app fad or is it here to stay?